In order to exercise the veterinary practice in the Republic of Cyprus, one needs to register to the Veterinary Surgeons Register of the Registrar of Cyprus Veterinary Council, operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.

The veterinary practice includes the examination of animals in order to draw a diagnosis, treatment of animals, carrying out surgical operation on animals, provision of veterinary advice or prescription or certificate, administration of drugs or biological products and implementation of measures for the prevention of animal diseases or for the improvement of animal’s health conditions, autopsy performance on animals, inspection of products of animal origin in order to ensure that they are appropriate and suitable for human consumption, sample taking from live or dead animals or products of animal origin for laboratory testing, execution of veterinary laboratory diagnostics.

Eligibility Criteria

Any natural person is eligible to register to the Veterinary Surgeons Register and thus exercise the veterinary practice, provided that the Cyprus Veterinary Council is satisfied that he/she:

is a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus or a spouse or child of a Cypriot citizen and has his/her permanent residence in the Republic of Cyprus or is an EU member state citizen;

has not committed an offence nor was guilty of disgraceful or inappropriate professional behaviour so that the responsible Veterinary Council of his/her country has imposed measures against him/her;

possess a recognized diploma/certificate or equivalent title listed in Annex III of the Law (Annex V.4. of Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications as amended) or covered by the provisions of article 9 A of Law (article of 23 Directive 2005/36/EC as amended) or recognised title by the Cyprus Council for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications (KYSATS);

possess a clear criminal record certificate from the responsible authority of the country of origin or certificate of «Goodstanding/current professional status» issued by the competent authority of the member state as a proof of good character;

possess very good knowledge of the Greek language as it is certified by exams that are under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth and especially good knowledge of the greek veterinary terminology.

Application Procedure

The application for registration in the Veterinary Surgeons Register can be submitted either electronically through the PSC Cyprus Portal or by hand/post to the competent authority:

copy of diploma/certificate or title in Veterinary Medicine (certified translation in Greek or English language to be submitted);

copy of transcript of academic records (certified translation in Greek or English language to be submitted);

copy of certificate of recognition of titles of studies by the Cyprus Council for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, only if the applicant does not posses the formal qualifications listed in Annex III of the Law (Annex V.4 of the EU Directive 2005/36/EC as amended) or the diploma/certificate or title is not covered by the provisions of article 9 A of the Law (article 23 of Directive 2005/36/EC as amended);

copy of a clear criminal record certificate issued by the police or «Certificate of Good standing» or «Certificate of current professional status» issued by the competent authority of the member state or member states in which the medicine was practiced in the past (the original clear criminal record certificate is to be shown at the personal interview of the applicant with the Cyprus Veterinary Council);

certificate of very good knowledge of the Greek language as it is certified by exams of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of Cyprus;

certificate of permanent establishment in Cyprus in the case of a national of another Member State (this certificate is issued by the local authority).

In case that the applicant is a national of another Member State , Cyprus Veterinary Council may request the applicant to attend a personal interview in order to assess the level of knowledge of the Greek language and especially the knowledge of the veterinary terminology.

The applicant is informed regarding the registration as soon as possible and no later than 3 months from the date that the application form and supporting documents were duly submitted. The registration shall not be deemed to have been granted if the Cyprus Veterinary Council has not replied within the period specified. Upon approval, the applicant needs to pay the fee of €8,54 (payable by cash).

The Certificate of Registration issued by the Registrar of Cyprus Veterinary Council is valid infinitely and does not need to be renewed.

Obligations and Supervision

Registered Veterinarians are obliged to comply with the Professional Code of Veterinary Practice Regulations of 1994 and the Exercise οf Veterinary Practice and Registration of Veterinary Surgeons Law and Regulations, as periodically amended. Specifically, registered veterinarians are obliged, among others, to:

contribute, to the extent possible, to the enhancement of animal production;

promote the animals’ welfare with the prevention and treatment of animal diseases;

protect human’s health from animal diseases and ensure the highest possible hygiene and quality standards of the food and animal products;

defend the honour, reputation and dignity of the profession with their behaviour;

equally treat their customers regarding the provision, diligence and devotion exhibited in the cases undertaken;

provide explicit directions as per the usage and custody of the prescribed medicine;

behave with respect, politeness and generosity towards their colleagues;

not implement procedures or methods of unfair competition during the exercise of the veterinary practice;

be fully informed regarding the latest scientific developments especially those relating to the veterinary practice;

inform the Cyprus Veterinary Council before the end of November of every year either in case of change of professional or home address, or in case of obtainment of new specialization;

keep records of cases and activities undertaken relating to the exercise of veterinary practice.

The Cyprus Veterinary Council is the delegated body to exercise disciplinary control on the registered veterinarians and impose disciplinary penalties, such as the temporary or permanent deletion of a registered veterinarian from the registry, temporary suspension of the authorisation to exercise the veterinary practice, penalties, written reprimand etc.